Booklets

Magazines

Principles of Life

The American writer, Charles Garfield, who has made a thorough, psychological study of peak-achievement, says that ‘in a study of 90 leaders in business, politics, sports and arts, many spoke of ‘false starts’ but never of ‘failure.’ Disappointment spurs greater resolve, growth or change. Moreover, no matter how rough things get, super-achievers always feel there are other avenues they can explore. They always have another idea to test.’ (Readers’ Digest, October, 1986).

In 1831, an American citizen went into business. In 1832 his business failed, so he entered the field of politics, but was no more successful in that sphere. He reverted to business in 1834, and was again a failure.

An Air India plane, a Boeing 747, took off from Montreal on 23 June 1985, carrying 329 people aboard including the crew. It was bound for Delhi via London.

At Palam airport, Delhi, large numbers of people were waiting, as usual, to receive their relatives and friends. Some of the passengers were coming back home after working hard at their studies or their business. There were some girls and boys who were coming to India to get married. Still others were to visit their homeland after a long interval to meet their near and dear ones.

When the Industrial magnate, G.D. Birla (1894-1983), was thirty years old, he received a letter from an unknown student in Calcutta. This is what the student, in an informal and forthright manner, had written:

If only you can help me with an amount of Rs 22,000 for the purchase of a special type of instrument which has to be imported, I may assure you that I may be able to get the Nobel Prize for my discovery.